Driving mechanism for producing gyratory motion



B. NEAL AND G. H. HEBEBRAND. nmvmc MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING GYRATORY monon.

APPLICATION. nuzo 1m. 18. 1922. 11.- 42-3,871 Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. NEAL AND G. H. HEBEBRAND. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING GYRkIORY MOTION.

23,871, APPL'CM'W "L 11m. 8. I922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2' Patented July 25, 1922.

BURTON NEAL, OF ST. LOUIS, AND

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GEORGE HOWARD HEBEBRAND, OF KIN'LOCH, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1922.

Application filed January 18, 1922. Serial No. 530,089.

To all whom it wm'g concern.

Be it known that we, BURTON NEAL and Gnoucn l'l. Hnnncimnn, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and. in Kinloch, St. Louis County, respectively, and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving Mech anism for Producing Gyratory Motion, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel driving mechanism for use in producing gyratory movement. It is particularly adapted for application to machines for sitting flour, wherein such a motion is utilized for causing the travel of the stock over the various sieves, and in the drawing the invention is illus trated in connection witha plan-sitter type of machine.

The general object of the invention is to provide a drive for producing a gyratory movement of a body, such as a sifting ma chine, which will be self-balancing from the start to the maximum number of revolutions provided for.

Stated more in detail, it is a principal object oftlie invention to provide a drive of the character indicated, in which the driving part of the mechanism shall always occupy a fixed or centered position, while the driven part of the mechanism, including the body to which the gyi'atory motion is to be imparted, shall, in operation, be grad.-

ually thrown oflcenter so that its central median line or axis shall. travel in a cir ular path, By this arrangement, the gyratory movement is initiated and. maintained with the minimum of irregular motions or vibrathe invention comprises apair of springcontrolled weighted. members which are adapted to be thrown cutwarcl by centrifugal force and are to more in unison, such weighted members being pivotally mounted on the driven body eccentric-ally of the vertical. axis thereof, and movable member actuated by the weighted members and con nected with the driven mechanism, whereby as the driven body assumes an eccentric path of movement under the action of the weights, the connection with the driving mechanism will be correspondingly moved in an opposite direction, thus maintaining the same relative position between the driving part of the mechanism and its connection with the driven part of the mechanism or machine at all times.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1. is a view in side elevation of a multiple plan-sifter provided with our improved driving mechanism. the machine being at rest and the axis or driven shaft of the device being in line with the drive shaft; v Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the relative position of the parts with the machine in motion, and showing particularly the eccentric relation of the driving shaft to the driven shaft;

Figure is a broken sectional plan, view taken through the drive shaftand, illustrating'thc position of the weights of-the driving mechanism before the machine has been placed in motion; and I Figure ,4- is a similar view illustrating the position of the weights with the machine in motion, and also showing by dotted lines,

the circle described by the axis or driven shaft of the machine.

Referring now to these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates generally, a multiple plansiftcr machine of the tpye described and illustrated in a prior patent to Burton Neal No. 1,368,826 dated February 15, 1921, said machine being suspended from its four corners, as usual with plan-sitter machines, by means of wooden rods 2. The machine, as shown, comprises two sections ofsieves indicated by dotted lines at 3, and between these sections at the center of the machine, a vertical space 4 is provided through which extends a driven shaft 5. Mounted on the top and bottom of the machine centrally thereof, are castings 6, '7, respectively,which provide bearings for opposite ends of the driven shaft 5, the irper casting 6 preferably e I lyin a ll. bearing 8 for the see a Fisedlgi on the top and bottom of the shaft 5 are plates 9 and 10 respectively. In Figures 3 and t We have shown the construction at the top of the machine in connection with the plate 9, and as the construction at the bottom of the machine in this regard is identical with that at the top, a. description of the upper mechanism will. sufiice for both.

Referring to Figures 3 and at, the numerals 11 and 12 indicate two corresponding arms, each. of which is provided at its outer end with a weight 13. At its inner end each arm is provided with a circular portion l l, 14* which is provided with gear teeth 15 which are in mesh with each other. The geared ends let, lt are pivotally mounted at 16 on the plate 9. Mounted on the upper side of the plate 9 at what may be termed its inner extremity relative to the position of the weights shown in Figure 4t, is a post 17 (Figures 1 and 2) through which slidably extends a rod 18, one end of which is pivotally connected at 19 to one of the geared ends, that indicated as 14, eccentrically to its pivot 16. Secured on the rod 18 inter mediate its ends, is a fixed collar 20 between which and the post 17 is interposed a coil spring 21. Secured on the top of the gear head lit is a plate 22 (Figures 2, 3 and l) to which is pivotally connected one end of a bar 23, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at 24: to the outer end of a short arm 25, the inner end of which is pivotally mounted at 26 on the upper end of the post 17.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 27 indicates a drive shaft which is actuated by a pulley 28 driven by a belt 29 and, while it is not considered absolutely essential to do so, it is deemed advisable to interpose two universal connections 30 in the length of the drive shaft,

to allow for any slight lateral movement of the drive shaft which may occur as the machine is being placed in operation. Mounted 011 the top of the bar 23 is a socket member 31 in which is fixedly secured the lower end of the drive shaft 27, thus when this drive shaft is rotated by pulley 20, the plate 9 and the weighted members mounted thereon, and the shaft 5, will be correspondingly rotated.

As stated above, the construction at the bottom of the machine. so far as the mounting of the weights is concerned, is exactly the same as that described with reference to the mechanism at the top of the machine, and for the sake of convenience, the corre sponding parts have applied thereto, similar reference numerals provided with the index a. There is. of course, no driving mechanism at the bottom and the drive shaft is supplanted by a fixed pin 32 mounted on the bar 23 which is received into a socket member 33 secured on the fioor 34;, This socket member 33 is not a bearing in the true sense of the term, as the pin has aconsiderable play therein its sole purpose being to prevent the machine from being pushed oil the center, which very frequently happens in this type of machine so that sometimes for an hour or more at a time, they will have a wobbly or uneven movement before settling to movement in the proper path.

In operation the drive shafts 27' being rotated to correspondingly rotate the plate 9, weighted arms ll, 12 and driven shaft 5, (and, of course, plate 10 and the corresponding parts connected therewith at the bottom of the machine), the weights 1 -3 and 1 being eccentrically mounted by their arms on the plates 9 and hi, will be thrown gradually outward in the direction inzjlicated by the arrows in Figure El. the maximum movement of the weights being reached when their opposed ends come in contact, as indicated in Figure 4;. the weights move outward, the bar 23 carrying the socket membe: 31 to which the shaft 2? is secured. will be drawn out of line with the shaft 5 in the same direction as the weights 13, as the pivotal. connection 22 of the inner end of the arms 23 with the plate 22 on the reared head i l (Figure 3) is eccentric to the pivotal mounting 16 of said head on the plate 9. In this initial movement there may be a slight movement of the drive shaft 27 from the vertical. caused by said movement of the plate 23. However, as the movement of the weights and the can'res 'ionding movement of the socket member 31, immediately places the drive shaft 2? and driven shaft 5 out of line, the shaft 5 being not only rotated but caused to bodily travel in a circular path as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure i, a corresponding movement is, of course. imparted to the plansifter 3. In practice, the circle described will gradually increase inby the shaft 0 diameter until the weights come in contact, or until the maximum speed of rotation provided for is reached. In the present instance. at the maximum speed of rotation and with the weights in contact, it is designed that the circle described by the shaft 5 shall be four inches in diameter. After the initial movement above described. the movement of the shaft 5 in one direction away from a vertical center. will he in exact proportion to the movement of the shaft 2? effected by the movement of the plate 23 in the opposite direction so that the shaft 27 will always have a fixed vertical axis or, there is a slight deviation therefrom, it will rapidly center itself as soon as the circular movement of the shaft 5 begins, which follows immediately the beginning of rotation of the shaft 27.

By the arrangement above described, it

' socket member for imparting rotation to will be seen that the gyratory movement of the plan-sifter or other body 1 is produced gradually, the movement being increased as the weights gradually move tOWflTCltllGlI extreme outer position, and the movement off-center of the shaft 5 in one direction being exactly proportional to the movement of the shaft 27 in an opposite direction; and as the plate 9 is carried by the shaft 5 so that said plate and all the parts mounted thereon, including the bar carrying the socket member 31, the latter would be moved off-center corresponding to the movement of the shaft 5 were it not for the fact that the outward movement of the weighted arms ll, 12 causes the movement of the socket member 31 in the opposite direction, thus maintaining the alinement of said socket member with the shaft 27. At the bottom, the same operation occurs with respect to the pin 32 which is moved by the plate 23 so that it always practically centers in the socket By this arrangement there is no sudden eccentric movement of the Dlansifter or other body 11 causing an enormous strain. to be exerted on the floor of the building, but owing to the compensating movement between the shaft 5 and the drive shaft 27, and the gradual eccentric relation effected between the center of rotation of the weights and the center of rotation of the shaft 5, the machine is always self-balancing from the start of the operation until it has attained the maximum speed of rotation.

We claim:

1. Driving mechanism for producing a gyratory movement of a suspended body, comprising a driven shaft on which said body is rotatably mounted. a plate fixedly secured on the end of said shaft, weighted arms pivotally mounted at one end on said plate eccentrically of said driven shaft and having geared relation at such pivoted ends, said weights being adapted to be thrown outward under the action of centrifugal force when said plate and driven shaft are rotated, a socket member movable by said arms simultaneously with and in the general direction of the movements of said weights, and a vertically disposed drive shaft having a driving connection at its lower end with said said plates an d the parts connected with and mounted thereon.

2. In driving mechanism for producing gyratory movement of a suspended body, in combination with a driven shaft on which said body is pivotally mounted, a drive shaft, a differential drive connection between said drive and driven shafts, weighted arms carried by said driven shaft and pivotally mounted eccentrically thereof, and operatively connected with said driving connection and operating by an outward movement under centrifugal force when said drive shaft is rotated to produce a lateral movement of the driven shaft with respect to the driving shaft in one direction and a corresponding movement of the driving connection in the opposite direction.

3. In combination with a suspended body having a driven shaft pivotally mounted therein, weighted arms operatively mounted on said driven shaft and pivotally mounted eccentrically thereof, whereby when said driven shaft is rotated, the outward movement of the weighted arms under centrifugal action will tend to change the center of rota-- tion of said driven shaft and cause it to travel in a circular path, a driving shaft for rotating said driven shaft and a driving con nection between. said driving and driven shafts movable by said weights in one direction to an amount proportional to the movement of the driven shaft in an opposite direction.

4. Driving mechanism for producing gyratory movement of a suspended body, comprising a driven shaft on which said body is pivotally mounted, a plate fixedly secured on one end of said driven shaft, arms pivotally mounted on said plate eccentrically of said driven shaft and having geared relation at their inner ends, a spring for cont-rolling the movement of said arms about their pivots, a movable member pivotallyconnected at one end to one of said arms beyond the pivotal connection thereof and at its other end being pivotally connected to said plate, and a drive shaft secured at one end to said movable member to normally aline with said driven shaft whereby in the rotation of the drive shaft the weighted arms will move outward and cause said driven shaft to be moved out of alinement with said drive shaft and the said movable member will be moved in an opposite direction to said driven shaft and proportional to the movement thereof to maintain a substantially immovable point of connection with said drive shaft.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

BURTON NEAL.

GEORGE HOWARD HEBEBRAND. 

